Coconut Cupcakes
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These old-fashioned coconut cupcakes are packed with rich coconut flavor in both the cake and frosting—truly a family favorite!
They say that traits usually skip a generation, but in my case, they skipped two. My great grandmother, who was called “Honey” by everyone who knew her, was a baker and caterer. She baked cakes for the whole city of Buffalo, New York, and was especially well known for her coconut cake and cupcakes. Once I became the family baker, I took it upon myself to recreate Honey’s famous coconut cupcakes. It was a challenge to get it as “coconut-y” as the original, but I eventually nailed it. The trick was adding coconut milk and shredded coconut to both the cake and the frosting.
“Outstanding cupcakes…an 11 on a scale of 10 — on both flavor and texture.”
What You’ll Need To Make Coconut Cupcakes
- Coconut Milk: Adds rich coconut flavor and keeps the cupcakes moist; also used to thin and flavor the frosting.
- Lemon Juice: Reacts with baking soda to help the cupcakes rise.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure; measure using the spoon-and-level method to ensure accuracy.
- Cornstarch: Added to the flour which results in a lighter, more tender cake.
- Baking Soda: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cupcakes rise
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the cake and contributes to the frosting’s smooth texture and richness.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cupcakes and balances the tang of the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the coconut flavor in both the cupcakes and frosting.
- Eggs: Bind the batter and contribute to a tender crumb.
- Sweetened Flaked Coconut: Adds texture and extra coconut flavor; also used for topping the cupcakes.
- Cream Cheese: Provides a tangy, creamy base for the frosting.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Mix the coconut milk and lemon juice in a small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in another bowl.
In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and coconut milk mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
Stir in the shredded coconut just until combined.
Fill the cupcake liners about three-fourths full and bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy, then gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar.
Add the vanilla, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt and beat until combined.
Frost the cooled cupcakes.
Top with shredded coconut, and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
For the Frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- Pinch of salt
- 1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut, for topping
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Lightly spray the top of the pans with a nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking Spray with Flour, just in case the cupcake tops stick to the pan (don’t worry if the spray gets in the liners).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the speed down to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the coconut milk–lemon juice mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining coconut milk–lemon juice mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture, then scrape down the bowl and beat again until the batter is just combined. Quickly mix in the shredded coconut; do not overmix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pans, filling each cup about three-fourths full. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the cupcakes are set, lightly golden, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (note that one pan may finish baking before the other). Let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy and well combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, and then beat in the vanilla, coconut milk, and salt.
- When the cupcakes are completely cooled, use a butter knife or small offset spatula to swirl the frosting lavishly over the top. Sprinkle with the shredded coconut, pressing it gently so it adheres, and serve.
- MAKE AHEAD: The cupcakes can be made and frosted up to 1 day ahead of time. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Note: The frosting ingredients in this recipe have been updated from the first printing of the book, so you'll notice a few minor tweaks. (This is the updated version.)
- Note: Adding cornstarch to the flour mimics cake flour, which makes a lighter and more delicate cake.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (24 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 407
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Sugar: 41 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 154 mg
- Cholesterol: 69 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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I love these cupcakes! Will this recipe work as an 8 inch round double layer cake if I just divide the batter between 2 cake pans?
Hi Kelly, Yes it should work well. Please LMK how it turns out!
I made these yesterday and they are quite delicious. Everything pairs well together – I did toast the coconut for on top of the cupcake. After being refrigerated the cake part of the cupcake did get a bit hard but still tastes delcious.
This recipe came out so AAHHHMAZING. So light and moist and flavorful. 10/10. I halved the cake recipe and baked it in a parchment lined loaf pan. I toasted the “garnish” coconut on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 4-5 minutes after I took the cake out to cool. I was worried the coconut milk would make the frosting runny, as another reviewer mentioned, so I stuck to my own basic tried and true cream cheese frosting recipe and omitted the coconut milk. I think toasting the coconut sprinkled on top really helped pull the coconut flavor through. I used TJ’s reduced fat canned coconut milk and unsweetened organic shredded coconut, since it was what I had on hand, and it was fantastic. As a side note to anyone using unsweetened coconut, it has to be the shredded and not the flakes. The flaked pieces would be too hard and thick.
Hello Jen,
What brand of shredded coconut do you buy or recommend?
Joyce
Hi Joyce, I use Baker’s.
Hi Joyce,
How much cake flour should I use since I have that on hand instead of all purpose flour?
Thanks!
Hi Melanie, I’d replace the cornstarch with additional cake flour, so you’ll need an additional 1/4 cup. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Like most of the comments on your web-site, I must say that your recipes are NO FAIL, your website is amazingly user friendly & easy to navigate. But I am not able to access the video link for this recipe, it is not hyperlinked or highlighted to open when I scroll over “video tutorial here”! Do you happen to know if there something missing?
Thanks Jenn for all your wonderful recipes, your website gives me much enjoyment in the kitchen!!
Cheers,
Mary
Hi Mary, Thanks so much for your kind words – so glad you enjoy the recipes and find the site easy to navigate! Immediately under the line that indicates there’s a video, you should see a heading that says Coconut Cupcakes Video Tutorial, and beneath that, a video with an arrow to click on. If you don’t, here’s a link to it. Hope that helps!
Thanks Jenn, that link just brings me to the recipe page again!! I wonder if it has anything to do with being in Canada and not in the US? N biggie, really, I’d just like to see how you make your recipes in your kitchen!!
Cheers,
Mary
That’s so strange! It shouldn’t have anything to do with where you live. I would suggest going onto the blog using a different internet browser and trying to print from there. Oftentimes, those annoying glitches can be resolved by using a different browser. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Yes, I have the exact same problem on all Jenn’s recipe pages for some reason – clearly see Grandma Honey’s pic (love the hat btw!), and see the heading for video, but just blank space after no links, so thank you for this Jenn! Perhaps the way around this just go to video page and search for recipes there? Just made your key lime pie for third time btw…again, hubby said it was nothing short of a miracle – thank you for being in my life and my kitchen; what a saviour you’ve been throughout the years!
Hi Pam, Do you by chance have an ad blocker on your computer? That can cause the videos to not show up (they have ads). So glad you’re having success with the recipes! 💕
Hi Mary. I have the same issue when using my computer. When I use my iphone for some reason, the videos are always there and work! Try that!
Made these almost exactly as written with the exception of unsweetened coconut and they came out great (still plenty sweet in my opinion). Definitely a keeper!
I followed the directions exactly as written and they came out super yummy! Thank you!
These are Amazing!!!! I added pineapple because pineapple is delicious. So yummy!
Can I freeze the cupcakes without the frosting?
Sure!
Jenn,
I made your “Honey’s Coconut Cupcakes” into a 13 x 9 sheet cake for Easter. It was a HUGE hit! My family said it was the best coconut cake they’ve ever had – and we’ve had a lot of coconut cakes!
I chose your recipe because:
1. Every recipe of yours I’ve ever made has been very successful. Your detailed directions and tips are always appreciated.
2. Your story about Honey was really sweet.
3. I liked the idea of including coconut milk and coconut in both the cake and the frosting.
I shared your story of Honey with my family as we devoured the cake. Her story made it feel extra special! Everyone requested a piece to take home.
Thank you, Jenn, for sharing your tested and perfected recipes! Very grateful.
💗